S40 V40 Cars: 1.8 GDi.....What are they like???

[960kg]

Originally Posted by NI_Volvo_Nut

Well, we went today and bought the car, very nice it is too, 2001, 85k, it needs read discs and pads, an aerial, and the EML sorted. Friend of mine is coming to read the codes tomorrow. Its idling poorly and cuts out at times, but driving, other than a slight misfire at times it seems perfect, anybody like to try and pre-diagonise the fault?

......i am pleased you bought this car as only those that seem to own them realise what they are like as they are living with it.......yes, the engines coke up because of the emissions type system, but if you do the servicing properly when it requires it, they are great engines with a lot of torque and bhp (126).....Don`t just read the normal servicing guides for the S/V40 Volvo engine, but look up the actual GDI engine as parts of the servicing are different eg: Servo brake pipe to the manifold has to be checked for any carbon buildup, also the timing belt is 60,000mls and NOT 80,000.....i know you say yours has been done but at 83,000 that is far to long.....squirt carb. cleaner all around inside the throttle housing and clean the throttle flap and it`s edges so no hard bits of coke are left on and it will close properly in it`s housing also put STP injector cleaner in the tank, make sure it has the proper plugs as there is only one that is recommended they are £10 each!!!....then see after a week how different it feels......when driving in the town i only use up to 3rd gear to let it rev freely 4th is too high and the engine will labour and you won`t get air flowing quickly enough and it will deposit the coke back easier......you will still get 30mpg + in the town....on the open road let it rev ok and you will get a better consumption up to 47mpg as these engines have two modes of fuel delivery......as you can see by my sig. i have the T4 and the GDI ok ,so they are both `98 but in town the GDI is so much easier to drive, the gearbox is lighter to change and the engine picks up instantly for a quick getaway also due to the lighter clutch control, i do prefer it to the T4, which to me is only meant for the open road.....the mpg on the T4 is a full 10mpg less than the GDI and more on a long run....the mph per 1000 revs. is not much different so the GDI is great also at the motorway speeds as the revs are lower......i used 98ron(due to it`s cleaner burning) for a couple of months but it does run better on the recommended 95ron which is also cheaper.....i think all in all i do prefer the GDI engine to any of them for it`s easier use of the power and also the cost per BHP over the others...but i keep in mind the extra servicing i have to give it........

[jamie28]

When i cleaned the throttle body/inlet manifold on our GDI it hunted for a couple of days and stalled twice , then it was fine and has been since. i guess the stepper motor needs to find a new datum or somehting

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

Thanks for that folks, plan is to tackle it on Thurs, so will post the results after

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

Got tied up with a POS Focus today, he did manage to get rear discs and pads fitted, so at least the car is road worthy now, I took the intake pipe off and had a nosey in the manifold, and JEEESSSSUUUSSSS is it sooty lol

So had the codes read, rear lambda sensor, but its working, we think its because of the poor running.

Anyway, its his plan to remove the manifold ect on Sunday and give it a good clean out, watch this space....